


And Perhaps....

by cantabrasil03



Series: Case-se Comigo [2]
Category: Free!
Genre: F/M, NOT A TEEN PREGGO FIC I SWEAR, Pregnancy, Prompt Fill, future!fic, god babies are my weakness I couldn't resist this prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-18
Updated: 2013-09-18
Packaged: 2017-12-26 23:14:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/971421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cantabrasil03/pseuds/cantabrasil03
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Of course, this was not a decision she could make herself. There was another person she had to consider in the equation, whose participation was nothing short of necessary for success.<br/>Makogou pregnancy!fic, prompt fill.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

They had been married for three years when something changed in Gou.

She started seeing babies _everywhere_. _Everyone_ around her was pregnant. Baby clothes at the mall drew her like moth to a flame. She started interrogating her mother on what her pregnancies were like.

At some point along the line, she began dreaming, with startling clarity, about her own baby. She started looking at maternity clothes to see what might look cute on her. She imagined what she would look like pregnant.

Her mother made the diagnosis. Gou had baby fever.

Then one day, as she was cooing over a neighbor’s baby, she felt something peculiar. It was an ache, a fierce longing, deep in her heart that was almost painful in its intensity. She wanted this, not in a hypothetical sense, not as a distant eventuality.

She wanted a baby. She wanted a baby more than anything.

Of course, this was not a decision she could make herself. There was another person she had to consider in the equation, whose participation was nothing short of necessary for success.

So, Gou made Makoto’s favorite dinner. She put on one of her loveliest dresses, a navy one she knew he liked. And as he ate his favorite dish she ran her foot up his calf and took a deep breath.

“Makoto,” she rested her chin on her hand and gazed at him adoringly.

“Yes?”

“What do you think about having…a baby?”

He paused his chopsticks in midair. “A…baby?”

She gathered her courage. “Yes.”

~

Their discussion lasted long after dinner was done. Makoto had always been a good listener, and he patiently sat through Gou’s hurried explanation of her wish to be pregnant. They examined their budget, looked at the extra room in their home, and spent the rest of the evening thinking of baby names.

Gou was ecstatic. Makoto was ready to begin trying that very night, but as his kisses grew more heated, Gou reached for the condom.

“I have to see the doctor first!”

~

Makoto didn’t realize there was so much to be done even _before_ Gou could become pregnant. There were vitamins to take, the doctor to visit. Gou came home one day with an odd little machine- a fertility monitor. She kept a chart in their bedroom, and as she busily filled out the days of the month Makoto was reminded of their days in the swim club, when her determination pushed them to success.

It took four months. Four months of charts, four months of hopeful waiting, four months of Gou groaning when the telltale bleeding appeared. Four months after bringing up the subject, Gou called Makoto at work.

“It’s pink!”

~

“Gou?”

“I’m fine.”

“You look a little green.”

“I’m _fine.”_

Not a minute later, she leaped up and made a dash for the bathroom. Makoto followed at a slower pace, leaning against the doorway as she retched into the toilet.

“Ok,” she conceded, leaning back. He stepped into the bathroom and kneeled beside her. “I’m not fine.”

“You need to lay down. I told you not to worry about the house today.”

“I know.” She stood and went to brush the vomit out of her teeth. He followed.

“You know my mother is coming tomorrow to clean and make dinner.”

Gou spit into the sink and rinsed her mouth. “I know.”

He lifted her easily into his arms and carried her to their bed. “I’m going to make you some tea. _Stay in bed_.” He kissed her forehead tenderly, then leaned further down and kissed the spot beneath her navel where their child was growing.

She watched him leave, admiring him openly. Gou sighed and closed her eyes, resting her head on her pillow. She knew there was no arguing with Makoto when he shifted into motherly mode. In their first year of marriage she had caught the flu, and he refused to let her lift a finger while he tended to her. Gou had learned quickly to let him take care of her- he could be stern when he wanted.

Although….a stern Makoto could be _very_ sexy.

~

“Makoto.”

There was no reply. Gou tried again.

“Makotooooo.”

He shifted in his sleep, turning sleepily to hold her. Gou squirmed. “Makotooooo, I need something.”

“Sunday morning,” he grumbled. “We sleep in.”

“Makoto, the baby is hungry.”

He cracked open a brilliant green eye. “The baby?”

“Yes.”

She admired the valiant effort he made to open both eyes, blinking blearily in the morning sun that filtered through their curtains. “What does _the baby_ want?”

“Well…” she buried her face in his chest. “The baby wants melon.”

“Melon?”

“Yes. Melon. And melon bread. And melon ice cream. And more melon.”

He couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped his mouth then. Gou huffed. “Makoto-“

“I’m going, I’m going.”

~

She was starting to show. She realized it while eating the melon he brought home from work that day. It was there, pushing against the band of her shorts.

She was quick to show Makoto that evening. “Look!” she flattened her dress over herself. There it was, a gentle swell just under her belly button. Makoto was instantly in love.

He kissed her belly tenderly. “Can we feel the baby kick yet?”

Gou only laughed.

~

The weeks passed and Gou grew with her pregnancy. Makoto found the changes to her already lovely body irresistible. Pregnancy softened her face, filled out her breasts. She was all belly otherwise, and from behind, it was difficult to see that she was pregnant. An unexpected effect of this was that once she started to show, she grew quickly. To Gou, it felt like she suddenly had a pregnant bump overnight. One minute she was showing off the miniscule swell to her husband, the next moment it looked like someone had shoved a basketball up her shirt.

Makoto loved to kiss Gou’s tummy whenever he could. He found he was simply unable to keep his hands to himself; and thankfully, his wife shared his sentiments.

“Makoto,” she poked him with her foot. She was sprawled on the couch, her round belly peeking out from under her shirt. The hem of her yoga pant rode up as she lifted a long leg to poke him in the shoulder. “I’m hungry.”

“What do you want for dinner?”

“Chicken. Spicy. The spicier the better.”

Makoto muted the TV. “But you don’t like spicy foods.”

Gou ran her toes along his thigh. “I think the baby does. He likes spicy food.”

“So it’s a he?”

“That’s what your mother said.”

“My mother?!”

She nudged his hip with her foot. “Makoto, dinner! Please?”

He smiled then and ran his hand over her belly, giving her a kiss before getting up. “Right, right. I’ll get started.”

“And Makoto?”

“Hm?”

“Wear the apron?”

His eyes widened just a bit. Gou blew him a kiss. He knew what the apron meant.

Later, with the apron (and the rest of their clothes) scattered on the floor, Makoto gathered Gou into his arms, satisfied. His chest was still heaving, but when he looked down at his wife, he was startled to see her crying.

“Gou?” he wiped at her eyes gently. She waved him away with a watery smile. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing!” she sobbed. “I just- I love you so much, and now we’re having a baby, and I’m so happy!” Her tears quickly wet his skin. Makoto was at a loss for words. “Just…hold me,” Gou hiccupped. “It’s the hormones!”

~

Gou carried her pregnancy high, her mother and mother in law both agreed. Makoto’s mother warned that she also carried high with both her pregnancies, and that she often had bad heartburn, especially with Makoto.

“He spent the last three months sitting on my stomach,” she said, and urged Gou to drink plenty of milk to keep the heartburn away.

Gou followed her mother in law’s advice, and for the most part she felt fine. Other than the fact she could not handle the smell of curry, and disregarding the fact that she spent the first eight weeks of pregnancy with her head in the toilet, she loved being pregnant.

The first time she felt the baby move, she nearly fell off the couch. She forced herself to lay perfectly still, and called for her husband, who was busy making his lunch for the next day in the kitchen.

“Makoto,” she whispered loudly.

“What?” he called.

“Come here!”

“Why are you whispering?” he came into the living room, wiping his hands on a towel. She only reached for his hand and placed it on her stomach, low on her side. Makoto held his breath, waiting. Then, he felt it. It was barely a flutter, and all at once there was a _push_ against his hand. He looked at his wife, eyes wide, and his expression full of awe. “The baby,” he whispered.

She smiled, and it took his breath away. “He’s saying hello.”


	2. Chapter 2

“Do you want to know the baby’s sex?” their doctor asked the young couple. Gou squeezed her husband’s hand, imploring with her eyes. He nodded.

The doctor moved the ultrasound wand, searching carefully. “Ah! There we go. It looks like it’s a boy. Congratulations!”

Gou smiled up at Makoto. “See? Your mom was right.”

They painted the spare room the next day.

~

“Gou- chan, you look so cute!” Nagisa took both her hands in his. “How are you feeling?”

“I feel alright. I’m doing my best!” Gou accepted his kiss on her cheek as Nagisa crossed the doorway into her home. Rei and Haruka were close behind with hugs for her.  Makoto ushered them all to the living room, helping Gou settle on the couch.

“Is the baby kicking yet?” Nagisa placed an eager hand on her belly.

“He’s been moving around all day. If I lay back, he really puts on a show,” she leaned back on the couch to illustrate her point.

Nagisa laughed as he felt a kick, grabbing Rei’s hand so he could feel too. “Hello! I’m your uncle Nagisa. This is your uncle Rei, and that’s your uncle Haruka. We all can’t wait to meet you.”

“He can’t see us, Nagisa,” Rei chided.

“I don’t think he can hear you, either,” Haruka said, but he placed his hand on Gou’s stomach all the same.

 “But I’m sure he can feel our love!” As if in agreement, the baby rolled against their hands.

~

Their home was soon filled to the brim with gifts. Nagisa gave them more stuffed animals than the baby would ever play with. Rei found a beautiful layette, and Haruka made sure the baby had plenty of towels and blankets. This was all in addition to the clothes their families gave them. Nearly every time Gou’s mother visited, she would bring a new outfit that she “just happened to see in the store and wouldn’t it be perfect on the baby?”

Makoto’s students all pitched in and gave them a rocking horse, blue with a lovely white mane, which Gou thought looked absolutely charming settled in the nursery.

Then, one day, Rin showed up with a jogging stroller.

“What?” he said as Gou and Makoto gaped at the extravagant- and likely expensive- gift. “I want to take my nephew training. You’ll have to start him young!”

~

"How are you feeling?" the doctor applied the ultrasound gel. Gou winced- she hated how cold it was.

"I think I’m ready to meet the baby," she replied, and Makoto had to hide his smile behind his hand. She put on a brave face, but he knew how uncomfortable she was. Her belly overwhelmed her, and though he thought she looked adorable waddling around their home, he knew that she was done being pregnant. 

Gou was done, indeed. She could no longer sleep comfortably unless Makoto held onto her from behind, her belly on a body pillow and his hands around her for extra support. She rubbed rose oil on her stomach constantly to try and prevent stretch marks, but her skin was still sensitive. When the baby moved, she felt like he was stretching her entire body.

"Well, let’s see how much he’s grown," the doctor applied the ultrasound wand, spreading the gel. The image of their child appeared on the grainy screen. The physician clicked along the screen deftly, measuring the baby.

"It looks like he’s trying to copy his papa and be a big guy," the doctor said cheerfully. He continued the exam, showing them the baby’s limbs and the outline of his profile. With a few more clicks, he printed out an extra picture and handed it to the young parents.

"Now, Tachibana-fujin, it appears you have done a very good job. Your baby has grown well, and your cervix is still thick, which means it doesn’t look like he wants to come out anytime soon."

Gou paled. Makoto held her hand and gave her a sympathetic smile. The doctor continued. “You are at thirty eight weeks, so I expect your cervix to start softening soon. We typically allow you to get to forty weeks, and if you haven’t gone into labor by forty two we induce. But you’re young and healthy, so I don’t anticipate having to do that for you.”

"Will," Makoto paused. "Will the baby be too large? Will she be alright delivering?"

The doctor laughed. “You would be surprised at what the body can endure. Tachibana-san is a strong woman; she will be able to handle it.”  He patted Gou’s hand, reassuring. “So I don’t want you to worry. It’s not good for the baby. Go home, go for some easy walks, try to stay active, but don’t wear yourself out. We will see you back in a week.”

~

The day after her appointment, Gou met her mother in law for lunch. Makoto’s mother was delighted at the ultrasound picture, her smile warm. 

"And you look radiant, Gou-chan," she gushed, taking her daughter in law’s hand. "My son is so lucky to have you."

Gou blushed. “No, no, it’s the other way around.”

Their food arrived, and their conversation flowed easily. They were halfway through their meal when Gou felt the first pain. She paused, her cup at her lip. It caught her by surprise, and her mother in law noticed.

"Are you alright?"

"I’m fine," she shook her head as the pain passed, taking a sip of her drink. "I think the baby just likes the food."

When they rose to leave after the meal, Gou felt an odd sort of pop at the base of her stomach. Then, she felt something, warm and wet, slipping out of her, sliding down her legs. There was a moment when she panicked, thinking she had urinated herself - it wouldn’t be the first time in her pregnancy- but when she tried to stop the stream, nothing happened. Makoto’s mother was walking ahead of her, and when she realized her daughter in law was not behind her, she turned, and gasped. 

"Gou-chan!"

The rest happened in a blur. A waiter kindly offered Gou a chair and a towel, while her mother in law called Makoto. Gou called Rin and asked him to get their mother and meet them at the hospital. Then she called her physician while her mother in law got the car. 

"Ah, so your water broke? That’s wonderful! Are you at home?"

"No, I’m not," Gou took a sharp intake of breath as a pain washed over her, and she realized in the back of her mind that she was having contractions. 

This was it. Her baby was coming.  

~

“Alright, I hope you all had no problems with the homework,” Makoto adjusted the stack of notebooks his students handed in. “Because this will all be on the exam.”

There was a collective groan from the class, which muffled the sound of the classroom door opening. The principle’s secretary popped her head in the doorway.

“Tachibana-sensei? I’m so sorry, there’s a message for you,” she smiled and Makoto suddenly felt his throat constrict. It couldn’t be… the doctor said it was too early…

“Your wife called you to the hospital.”

~

Labor, Gou had been warned, would be a long wait. She quickly learned that _long_ was a gross underestimation.

Makoto refused to leave her side, no matter how politely (yet firmly), the nurses tried to get him out of the room. Gou was adamant in her wish to have her husband stay. She was sure there was nothing that would help her more than being able to squeeze his large hand as a contraction rolled through her body, and only he knew how to place the cool towel on her forehead just so, kissing her sweaty brow.

Gou was surprised to learn that while she was suffering in labor, their friends were taking care of their house. Rin told her Nagisa called almost every hour to see how she was.

“They’re cleaning and making food for you. I’m pretty sure Haru is stuffing your freezer with mackerel.”

She tried to laugh, but then a contraction snuck up on her and she gasped instead, squeezing Makoto’s hand as hard as she could. The nurse ushered Rin out of the room, clicking her tongue and muttering something about having enough men in the delivery room as it was.

Gou allowed herself to be pampered and fussed over. Her mother kept encouraging her, coaching her through the contractions and urging her daughter to get up and walk to accelerate the labor. Gou appreciated her mother’s calm, experienced direction. Makoto helped her walk, stopping briefly when a contraction came on, his hand rubbing soothing circles on her lower back.

 

As Gou walked down the maternity ward hall for what felt like the hundredth time, she leaned heavily on Makoto, taking careful steps.

“Makoto.”

“Yes?”

“I’m tired.”

“I know. Just one more lap around, and we’ll take you back to bed.”

“It’s dark outside already, isn’t it?”

He sighed and kissed the top of her head. “You’re doing so well. Hang in there.”

It was late at night when the doctor examined her and declared she had dilated to a full five centimeters. Gou was tired. She napped in between contractions, but they were starting to take their toll on her stamina.

The sun was beginning to rise by the time she was ready to push. She bit her lip and tried to breath but damn it all why did she marry a man with such a large head, she was sure she would tear in two, who said babies were meant to fit through a ten centimeter hole, there was no way in _hell_ Makoto was ever touching her ever _again…_

“Gou!” Makoto wiped her brow. “Hang in there!”

She squeezed his hand so hard Makoto swore he heard a crack. He endured, sure that it was nothing compared to the pain Gou was in.

“Tachibana-san, push!” The doctor encouraged. “You’re doing so well”

Her mother wiped her daughter’s brow, keeping her cool. She held Gou’s other hand, and Gou was grateful for her mother’s touch. It gave her strength. If her mother could squeeze out two children, Gou could surely handle this.

“A little more,” Makoto murmured. He held her hand, letting her squeeze as much as she needed to, wincing at the pain but breathing along with her. The doctor had said the shoulders would be the hardest part, and Makoto could see the agony etched on his wife’s face. Somewhere far away, he heard the doctor counting down the contraction, coaching Gou through the push.

And then, Makoto heard it. A shrill cry, like a bleating lamb. He looked at his wife, who had dropped her head back onto the pillow and whose face now shone with relief.

“He’s here,” she whispered.

“You’re amazing,” He kissed her brow tenderly. “You’re incredible. I love you, so, so much.”

“I love you too,” she laughed and laughed, tears running down her face. The doctor held up their son, his squalls showing the strength of his lungs. Swimmer’s lungs, Rin would say proudly. Like his father, Makoto’s mother would surely say.

The nurse whisked the baby away to be cleaned, and Makoto kissed her forehead, her eyes, her cheeks, her lips. “You did it,” he murmured. “Gou, he’s perfect.”

“He looks like you,” she sniffed, trying in vain to check her tears.

~

It felt like hours before Gou was finally able to hold her son. But when the infant was placed in her arms, she felt instantly that the wait was worth it. She could have waited an eternity for this moment, this peaceful moment with her son in her arms and her husband’s arms around the both of them.

“You were so much work! But worth every minute,” Gou stroked a downy cheek with her finger. “And you look just like your papa. Just like I hoped you would.”

Makoto chuckled. “I didn’t know you were hoping for that.”

Gou kissed her husband’s cheek. “Of course I did. Why wouldn’t I want my son to look like his father? I hope he has green eyes too, like his papa.”

The baby moved against her hand, his little mouth opening in a yawn. He moved his pudgy fists against his face, and slowly opened his eyes.

They were beautiful, shining, lovely green.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't name the baby, sorry. I had a name picked out but decided against using it for...reasons. I do think they would give him a "boy" name, though. Gou would be pretty adamant about that. Also, Makoto as a teacher yes/yes PLEASE he'd be adorbs and all the girls would have a crush on Tachibana-sensei except then they see his cute wife and they WOULD SHIP THE TWO OF THEM IN HELL. 
> 
> Also some fyi preggo facts: the inducing at 42 weeks is truefax, any longer and you can have serious complications with the placenta. Also, labor is a long arduous process that happens in three stages. The first stage is when the cervix starts to soften and dilate. The second stage is what you see in movies- the pushing, and the third stage is the placenta delivering.

**Author's Note:**

> There was a lot of research done for this fic. Pregnancy is handled a little differently in Japan, I guess? Epidurals are not widely available apparently.


End file.
